, OF K. WEST. 85 young Refiners1 may not yet have reached your Ears, a congress of young Gentlemen, enemies to Prejudice and contracted notions, upon, a thoro' examination of their Powers and Properties have found that our ancestors for 6000 years past, have laboured under the Servile State of unnecessary dependence, which intolerable yoke these public spirits, for the honor of themselves and advantage of Posterity, have resolvd to shake off, and in consequence of this noble resolution, have declared themselves In- dependent. Now the Revd Doctors have called some Privy Councillors to examine it, peradventure they may be able to find a flaw in this Demonstration. Since a corollary immediately deducible from this Proposition will strike at the root of Preferment & be destructive of the glorious expectation of a Lawn Sleeve & Crosier.' Mitford interprets these young Refiners or Reformers to be Gray, Walpole &c. Whether Ashton's not very excellent fooling refers to any real circumstance, it is perhaps impossible to determine * it is inserted here as descriptive of the attitude of these young people. He concludes *I sh£l be glad to hear from Prinsep3 who was possibly then at Oxford with West. 11. WEST TO G-RAY. I congratulate you on your being, about to leave college2, and rejoice much you carry no degrees with you. For I would not have You dignified, and I not, 1 Or 'Reformers' for Mitford is scarcely decipherable here. 2 I suspect that Mr West mistook his correspondent; who in saying he did not take degrees, meant only to let his friend know that he should soon be released from lectures and disputations. [Mason.] nconceivable that an Etonian writing from King's to a